What makes a fresh water pearl higher than AAA?
Question :
For one thing, let me say I cherish this site. I have constantly adored pearls, yet have just contributed unobtrusively in light of the fact that I didn’t have a decent hotspot for pearls. The ones I could discover were either low quality, clearly overpriced, or a blend of the two. Since I have discovered this webpage and the great online traders who are individuals, I feel that my pearl-purchasing radiance days have started. There is something about pearls that just interests me, and my better half shares my energy. At long last I am ready to discharge her from her menial strands! So far I have purchased just for my better half since I haven’t made sense of how to incorporate them into a man’s closet yet. Maybe sleeve fasteners? We’ll see.
However, to the inquiry: I have seen that a few locales are posting freshwater pearls that are higher than AAA grade, most remarkably the freshadamas. I comprehend there is not a standard grading for these sorts of pearls. What makes them so extraordinary? How might I perceive Freshadamas (for instance) from a strand of AAA pearls? Is it accurate to say that this is something that a conceded pearl amateur would see immediately?
I cherish the possibility of strong freshwater pearls and I need to purchase the best, however then again I don’t to overbuy on quality to the detriment of quantity and size (assets are not boundless). I never truly comprehended or loved the metallic coating like sheen on a portion of the top of the line pearls I have seen to date, and from understanding this discussion I have taken in these were presumably treated akoyas and not some tea (despite the fact that the sensational size appealed to me).
Do higher grade pearls have any kind of effect essentially to gatherers, or is it something that will be welcomed by non specialists just in day by day wear?
Is it something that can be clarified in words and pictures, or do I simply need to take care of business and purchase a few?
I need to begin off with a standard sized arrangement of necklace with bracelet and earrings, just to get her used to quality pearls, before I begin having a fabulous time purchasing her pearl endowments.
Answer :
The distinction really originates from the pearl partition on a farm or manufacturing plant level in creating territories, for example, Zhuji China. At the point when a wholesaler or retailer buys pearls from a source supplier they are isolated into various quality grades. They are all what is alluded to as ‘necklace qualities’. These are pearls that are esteemed sufficiently high quality to be penetrated and matched into strands. Out of the ‘necklace quality’ strands, you have a wide range of levels. The most elevated amount, which a considerable lot of us allude to as AAA, is the most noteworthy grade ‘necklace quality’. These pearls will be unmistakable round to the stripped eye, have practically zero blemishing, and have great luster. This is not a quality that one regularly sees when looking for freshwater pearl jewelry. Most are acclimated to level 3-4 and underneath. Uniquely off round, tolerably flawed, and low luster is the most unmistakable freshwater quality available.
To acquire a grade higher than AAA necklace quality you need to go above and beyond into the quality grading. This is an item known as ‘loose pearl’ grade. This grade of pearl has been deliberately isolated from every other grade before any preparing has been finished. This quality is not penetrated – it is sold as loose. It is not unprecedented to see this grade in a top of the line pendant or pair of earrings, however it is not sold in necklace shape just on the grounds that the supplier can offer every pearl independently for a much higher edge on a “determination” premise.
With a specific end goal to make a higher grade strand, for example, a ‘freshadama’, the loose pearl grade is utilized. This is not by any means as simple as it sounds, either. Keeping in mind the end goal to buy the loose pearls by choice, the expense of generation would overpower. Be that as it may, if the purchaser can purchase in expansive volume, the expense can be restricted. This involves buying the makers whole loose pearl stock on the premise of weight, without individual determination. The purchaser should then have the way to handle the unfinished products into necklace structure. Additionally, much all the more essentially, the purchaser must have the way to offer a lot of stock – it truly is a volume amusement. If we somehow managed to make freshadama in view of determination from loose parcels, so as to just make a couple strands (50-100 necklaces), the expense of creation would be more than twofold our present offering price. Pearl sweethearts ‘aware of present circumstances’ understand this, and that is the thing that makes them such a colossal arrangement.
To my comprehension, the top grade in cultured freshwater pearls is an AAA. Thre is a particular mimimal prerequisite to be grade AAA, for example, roundness, luster, and % of imperfections on the surface. Every grade is a piece of the continuum of pearl perfection. An is the least jewelry grade. Everything underneath An is business grade. Grade A requires a specific level of roundness and the pearls may be visably somewhat off cycle, A specific measure of luster is required, however that is hard to evaluate. There must be beneath a specific % of surface flaws. AA is better; more round with better skins. AAA grade pearls are the top little percent of the harvest, however some these will be nearer to the AA end of the range. At the top end of the AAA grade will be the pearls with the best luster and shape, These were generally put something aside for earrings and rings and sold maybe a couple at once.
With some provoking from individuals from the discussion for jewel quality pearls, Jeremy began purchasing a ton of these top % of the top % diamonds. He then had them matched and bored for necklaces, a first in the business. This top perecent of pearls is well on the way to have genuine arrange and natural hints and the brightest luster. The will be the highest point of the AAA end of the continuum and along these lines the best cfw pearls accessible. These pearls don’t require much, if any preparing, particularly contrasted with most akoyas and lower quality CFWP. Indeed, even the An and AA and the vast majority of the AAA are handled to improve them and match them better.
Perhaps the general population with the CFWP standard ought to include another grade, however it has not yet been done, so claims of AAA+ or AAAA are not part of the grading scale now utilized. Pearl dealers think of it as a moral infringement to add higher grades to the scale and after that case you have those pearls.
The Japanese have a method for recognizing the absolute best of the akoyas and really affirm those couple of necklaces that are the best quality. They call this grade “handama”. At the point when Jeremy brought the principal jewel quality strands back and held the acclaimed “which will be which?” survey, more individuals speculated wrong between a hanadama and a one of these diamond quality CFWP strands. They thought the freshwater pearl strand was the akoya.
Freshadama is a play on words referring to hanadama quality in freshwater pearls, for those who are educated enough to know.
Also, as has been discussed fairly extensively on this forum, one merchant’s grades are NOT directly comparable with any other merchant’s. The grading scales (including Jeremy’s use of A-AAA + freshadama) are completely subjective and unique to each merchant that uses them. There is absolutely no guarantee that one seller’s AAA strand will be as good as an AAA strand purchased elsewhere.
The only real exception is hanadama, which can only be certified by the Pearl Science Laboratory of Japan. You can read more about that here. It is also a subjective grade, but it is far more reliable than the letter grades used by individual merchants since all hanadama certs are issued by the same organization.
For the moment, Jeremy is the only retailer of freshadamas, as far as I know. The freshadama grade is also quite reliable, since (like hanadama) there is only one organization currently using that grade. Granted, unlike the Pearl Science Lab, Jeremy is a direct seller of pearls and therefore does have an “agenda” of sorts. However, he is known to be an extremely reputable dealer, and having established the standard of freshadama, it’s fair to say that he isn’t likely to ruin his company’s reputation by significantly lowering the freshadama standard.
I see we have something in common. You may want to try something like this necklace. Consider a matching bracelet too. You can see pics of mine here. I’ve also got a tie tack made from a dyed freshwater pearl (not a freshadama). No pic, but I like it a lot. I’m also coveting one of these bracelets and have knocked around a couple ideas for a pearl ring with Jeremy. So the possibilities are definitely out there.
Good question…
To me, the statement that each store has a unique understanding and ethic of grading is key.
‘Freshadama’ were lucky to find the operation capable to bring them to the market, and expert to define and publicize the grade and this forum.
It is lucky too that pearl grades do not depend on some ‘black box’ operation (hint: diamond grades :roll-eyes: )- a pair of eyes and experience are supposed to be enough. And having seen or owning a few great pearls constitute experience… The tradition of pearl grading is quite reassuring covering the basis – a dozen or so centuries must have been enough to decide what the best pearls biologically possible look like…
Wanna do you own? Owning a few great ones should teach the right lesson. And examples of even very fine pearls are not extraordinarily expensive by gem standards.
In case this sounds crazy, well, I didn’t invent the practice: professional buyers of precious stones carry sets of reference stones – a historic practice. Unlike pros, I can’t pretend to own the right samples for everything interesting including most of the dozens of types of natural pearls (!), but to some extent visual memory works too for my unambitious use. It looks like Zeide’s closet is among the best ‘pearl-grading labs’ for this reason.
Posting on other forums, I used to have as tag a quote from Souren Melikian, the art critic: “Experts are as good as the sum total of what they have seen” – couldn’t find a better mantra of gem grading since!
I’m so grateful for the explanation you gave here about how the Freshadama line came into being. It makes more sense to me now. I have read a lot about them here and on your site but never quite understood how they were picked to be Freshadamas. I knew they were the top of the freshwater pearls but I think I have a little better understanding now. I have been talking to my hubby about them and I brought a pair of studs to see what they were like…and I loved them. After I read your post today I shared your explanation with my husband and he said “then why don’t you buy the necklace you want” …so I did, and a pair of dangle earrings to match. I am putting the lavender ones on my future wish list cause Zeide said in a post that I read a while back that the lavender Freshadama’s were really beautiful. My girlfriends will sooooo love the Freshadamas when they see them! One of them is an Akoya lover…she thinks they’re tops…my new necklace and earrings might convince her otherwise don’t you think.
Well first, there is not a 5000 year standard that exists today. Is there any ‘standard’ that has remained constant for 5000 years without 100’s of generations of interpretation.
A specific grading set would be plausible. We use a makeshift set currently; two strands of differing overtone with the strand in question rolled between. Much of the loose product does not make the cut (many times a single pearl can destroy the grade), and those that do not are rolled into AAA inventory.
As for strands that would make the cut, I do not believe a strand could ‘unless’ it was composed in the same fashion, utilizing loose pearl quality, and only selecting properly from a loose-pearl lot (and from a properly separated loose pearl lot). But I have no intention of becoming a ‘testing lab’ for freshadama. Although I am certain others will attempt to create the same grade in 2007. Loose lots are already commanding more than a 25% premium from fresh harvests.
I am going to have to put lavender at the top of the radar for the next trip for sure. Unfortunately this will mean a severe drop in multis, but the best lavenders just have not lasted. In the standard freshwaters they did not sell as well as the pinks and whites, but in freshadama, they were the first to go. Because of our December PR campaign I had not choice but to concentrate on separated white lots this month, but next month I am sure we will completely replenish.
A lot of Akoya lovers really do find a new love in the freshadama. Yes, the freshadama have been compared against the Hanadama, but at the same time the Hanadama have still won favor with some. The Akoya do still have a look that the freshadama do not (while the freshadama have a look the Akoya do not). But if the Akoya lover is not simply drawn to the metallic sheen and reflection, chances are good the freshadama will win over.
I would be ok with that, actually. If another company can do it, more power to them. It is a very expensive, very difficult experiment. If they can do it and do it for less, I would be impressed. I would consider emulation flattery. I know of one other seller in LA that creates the same types of pieces, he is trying to trademark the term ‘Pure Pearl’ (good luck with Amanda Raab on that one). But the 9mm strands start around $4k. He is creating on a single selection basis.